Techie loses Rs 2.24 Cr to scammers posing as Customs, NCB officials
The caller informed him that authorities at Delhi Airport had held an air parcel addressed to him that contained multiple illegal items
A man from Jakkur in Bengaluru fell victim to a shocking parcel scam that cost him a whopping Rs 2.24 crore. It all began on March 18 when the man, who works as an engineer, received a phone call from someone claiming to be a Customs official from Delhi. The caller informed him that an air parcel in his name had been stopped at Delhi Airport because it contained several illegal items, including 16 passports, 58 bank ATM cards, and 140-gram Ecstasy drug tablets, which is a banned narcotic. The caller then transferred the call to someone who claimed to be an official from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
The fraudsters then made the man download Skype and demanded that he pay a large sum of money to settle the case and avoid facing legal action. The victim, who was unaware that he was dealing with fraudsters, agreed to their demands. Over the next few days, he transferred Rs 2.24 crore in eight installments through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS).
It was only after the victim had transferred the full amount that he realized that he had been scammed. Unfortunately, by then it was too late to do anything. He immediately contacted the authorities and lodged a complaint against the unknown fraudsters at the Bengaluru North East Cyber Crime Police Station.
Parcel scams, also known as courier scams or drug parcel scams, have become increasingly common in India. The fraudsters contact unsuspecting victims and pretend to be law enforcement officials. They inform the victims that a package in their name has been intercepted and contains illegal items. They then demand a large sum of money to drop the case. Despite warnings from the police and other agencies, many people continue to fall prey to these scams.
